Every item on this page was chosen by a Woman’s Day editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Code Karts
- Platform: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire
- Pricing: Free
- Age range: 4 and up
Think your preschooler is too young to learn coding? Think again. Code Karts makes coding for kids as young as four years old possible, using racetrack-themed logical puzzles and over 70 different levels (as well as two different game modes).
Kodable
ScratchJr
- Platform: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire
- Pricing: Free
- Age range: 5 to 7
Perfect for young learners, ScratchJr is introductory programming language that lets kids create their own interactive stories and games. By programming blocks and animating their characters, users are exposed to new math and language concepts, as well as the building blocks of programming.
codeSpark Academy
Developed by research from MIT, Princeton, and Carnegie Mellon, codeSpark Academy teaches all of the fundamentals of computer programming through daily activities, puzzles, and games personalized for your child’s skill level. Best of all, new content is released monthly, so your kids will never get bored.
CodeMonkey
Another great option for little ones, CodeMonkey is an online community that helps kid with no prior experience learn how to code. Children will love the game-based education, and parents will love how CodeMonkey allows you to monitor your child’s progress as they develop new skills.
Tynker
Designed to make programming accessible and fun for kids as young as five years old, Tynker gives kids the ability to write interactive stories, program drones, and explore other STEM topics, regardless of their prior experience. It can even be played offline without internet connectivity, so kids can play on the go.
Scratch
- Platform: Browser
- Pricing: Free
- Age range: 8 to 11
Designed by programmers at MIT, Scratch is the world’s largest free coding community for kids. It’s a place where users can use code to create stories, games, and animations, whether they’re just getting started or ready to take on more complicated topics and concepts.
Code Club World
- Platform: Browser
- Pricing: Free
- Age range: 9 to 13
Created by Raspberry Pi Foundation, Code Club World allows older kids to get started on their coding journey with fun activities and no coding experience necessary. Children can create a robot avatar, make music, design a T-shirt, or even teach the robot to dance. They also earn a badge for each project they complete and are able to share their coding creations.
LightBot
- Platform: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire
- Pricing: $2.99 for app
- Age range: 9 and up
LightBot is a programming game that challenges users to solve different puzzles using commands, all while learning basic programming concepts. With 50 different levels, this one is sure to keep kids occupied for a while (and for kids aged four to eight, there is also an easier version called LightBot Jr.).
CodeCombat
One of the most straightforward coding games for kids, CodeCombat combines the world of fantasy (think: knights and dragons) with the basics of coding. Each lesson is introduced as another chapter in the overarching storyline of the CodeCombat universe, which is what makes this game so fun.
Hopscotch
- Platform: iOS
- Pricing: Free
- Age range: 10 to 15
First introduced on Shark Tank, Hopscotch is a platform that allows kids to explore projects, make their own games, and learn how to code along the way. The free app even provides detailed video tutorials that teach users how to make games, animations, and apps to experience how software is created.
Minecraft
- Platform: Mac, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Pricing: $6.99 (app), $26.95 (PC and Mac)
- Age range: 10 and up
Perhaps the best known coding game for kids, Minecraft is all about using blocks to build objects, interact with other characters, and progress to new levels. It may sound simple, but it gives players the freedom to create and explore almost limitlessly (while also fulfilling missions and going after goals).
Swift Playgrounds
- Platform: iOS
- Pricing: Free
- Age range: 10 and up
Though only available on iOS devices, Swift Playgrounds is still known as one of the best apps teaching coding for kids. By playing, kids can play and experiment with code through interactive puzzles, all while learning the basic terms and functions of coding.
Mimo
- Platform: iOS, Android
- Pricing: Free
- Age range: 12 and up
With tons of mini lessons, projects, and challenges, Mimo is a platform that makes learning how to code fun and accessible. The site offers daily goals, streaks, and achievement badges that’ll teach kids to build websites, automate tasks, make apps, and more — all while feeling like they’re playing a game.
Projects
- Platform: Browser
- Pricing: Free
- Age range: 12 and up
Also created by Raspberry Pi Foundation, Projects is a catalog of more than 250 free coding projects for young people to explore and further enhance their coding skills. From creating a stress ball app, to coding musical instruments, to making a racing game, there are tons of projects available, and each project is designed to be completed in an hour.
Editor
Corinne Sullivan is an Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers a variety of beats, including lifestyle, entertainment, relationships, shopping, and more. She can tell you everything you need to know about the love lives of A-listers, the coziest bedsheets, and the sex toys actually worth your $$$. She is also the author of the 2018 novel Indecent. Follow her on Instagram for cute pics of her pup and bébé.
Watch Next
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
link
